Michaux-Curse of Dark Hollow

Blah, another favorite event just blown apart and DNF this year. This is becoming a trend!! I do not like!! The Michaux Series is not for the faint hearted, but then again if you want a rocky off road adventure you won't find much to rival this in NE US.

I love Michaux, it's probably one of my favorite places in PA. Not just to ride, but the hiking is awesome there, the bike crowd is really cool as well. The AT passes through, so hiking shelters are around for use, along with just millions of other good trails.

So, I'm working in Johnstown right now and have all my race stuff with me as of Friday. So I just head straight out to the start line and car camp starting Friday night. Saturday AM, Donna Weiser meets me for a short MTB spin around the general Curse area. Mostly this is to chat and catch up as we both are doing the race and don't want to overdo it. We have a fun time and then the rest of the day I go for a long hike and get a lot of quiet time until peeps start showing up late day. The camping doesn't get TOO crowded here, so the night is fairly quiet.

Up early, the weather is hot this weekend, but the trails are dry so it's looking good. I have JUST gotten together a new bike and didn't really have time to try out new tires on it yet so had to just pick from the spares hanging in the garage, which all were not too perfect. The new bike is back to a 26, I knew most tires I liked were going to be way too soft for the rocks at Michaux yet I also know I have never flatted there & although I have slight sidewall scuffs in my 29er tires from there, I have never full on ripped a tire. So, I decide to risk it with the tread I like, albeit a super soft Panaracer rubber and I guess in getting my 'rock air pressure' just wasn't enough. On the way to check #2, I have passed a few girls with temporary bike issues and to keep a little gap on them I start to try to pick it up a little. I figure the tires have felt good until now, although I have been being a little cautious on the DH sections for fear of flatting. No sooner do I start to want to go faster, I hit a super rocky DH and the heart sinking sound of air hissing. The tire tread had a big chunk pulled loose. Darn! I get it changed fast enough and put a boot in, no girls come by yet.....but low and behold as I put the cartridge in it hisses right back out!! Check it out, there is a tear right by the valve....oh brother. I am screwed. A few passers by offer me tubes, but they are 29 anyway and I wouldn't really take a tube from anyone unless it was sort of really emergency or I was winning or something. It's my fault for getting it damaged somehow and only carrying one tube here.....and picking these dumb soft tires!! Larry Camps comes by and says well don't you have a patch kit, want mine? Gee Larry, you are too nice....thanks but I am not going to take your stuff leaving you without it and in my skimpy pack efforts NO I didn't bring one. My bad this day....just didn't think it would happen. Every girl begins to come by. So, I start walking....thinking I can get to the next check on time and snag a tube there. No such luck the moto guy sees me on the road....crap...he snags me down....NOPE you cannot continue here is a tube and you can ride the shortcut back. I try to tell him the last girl went by just minutes ago and I think I can catch back up to her at least?? He says no way, you are not going. Darn. ok, so i fix it and get to the reroute. From here, I decide on getting the miles in so I ride the remaining hour or so of the short course to the finish. haha, this day I arrive before JP. So it was a good day after all ;-)

Mohican 100

The Mohican is the Mohican. Although the course has come a long way since the first one I did in 2006, it still is in my mind just a long use of OH that would be like any other long use of OH terrain. It definitely takes me a bit to get through this one for some reason, and this year even halted at the 'far out' point just totally not even caring to finish. If there is one thing about me, that was never a fault of mine....not finishing....I mean duh...why would I even make the effort to go somewhere if I wasn't going to finish. But somehow, now, it's in my mind constantly....like since I can't do better than I did 5 years ago, what the crap is the entire point. I'd rather use my time to explore some new to me stuff and get some excitement again!! Cruising a long route you already did several times is kind of like a deja vu that I've already had.....and already know the ending. Kind of an adrenalin kill.

So anyway, at the 'far out' point, a few others I know are contemplating a dnf as well which doesn't help. Finally I peel myself off the bench, 'this is silly, there is NO reason to stop here other than I am just being lazy'...so I head back out and get done, trying to find that mental place that used to come so easy but now seems often MIA. And finishing a good few hours behind the bulk of the women's leaders.

So, if your lookin for a 100 route that is def challenging w punchy climbs, a little roady mixed w swoopy IMBA stuff, the Mohican could be a nice time for you to try. For me, this was my last....I am writing that to remind myself.